Wednesday, December 28, 2011

The siege of Trichinopoly (3 January 1753-August 1754) was the dominating action during the last two years of the Second Carnatic War, and saw the British win a series of battles that prevented the French from capturing the city, and eventually caused the fall from power of Governor Dupleix of Pondicherry, the driving force behind the French war effort.

The siege of Arcot (September-October 1751) was the first major success in the career of Clive of India, and saw him capture and then defend the capital of the Carnatic in an attempt to lift the pressure on a British force being besieged in Trichinopoly.

Friday, December 23, 2011

The Battle of Volkondah (19-20 July 1751) was a French victory that forced most of the British soldiers in southern India to take shelter in Trichinopoly, where they would be besieged for much of the next two years.

The battle of Gingee (11 September 1750) was one of the most impressive French military achievements during the Second Carnatic War, and saw them capture the fortress of Gingee, widely believed to be invulnerable, in a single night.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

The Morane-Saulnier M.S. 325 was the first monoplane fighter designed by the company after the First World War, but was outdated almost before the prototype was completed, and was abandoned in favour of the M.S. 405.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

The Morane-Saulnier M.S. 275 was the last parasol wing fighter designed by the Morane-Saulnier company, and produced in response to a French air ministry specification for a single seat fighter first issued in 1930.

The Morane-Saulnier M.S. 224 was a parasol wing fighter closely related to four previous designs produced as lightweight fighters, but that was significantly larger and heavier, and paved the way for limited production of the M.S. 225.

Monday, December 19, 2011

Winter Uniforms of the German Army and Luftwaffe in World War II, Vincent Slegers.

A very detailed and meticulously researched examination of the winter uniforms of the German Army and the Luftwaffe, looking at items ranging in size from the bulky greatcoats down to rank badges and labels. All supported by a huge selection of photographs, many in colour.read full review

Historical novel set in the Petersburg campaign, focusing on the Battle of the Crater, a potentially war winning Union attack that failed after the plan of attack was changed at the very last minute. Seen through the eyes of a war artist and a black NCO in one of the well trained units that should have taken part in the initial attack.read full review

Stay the Distance - The Life and Times of Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Michael Beetham, Peter Jacobs.

A biography of one of the RAF's most important post-war leaders, tracing his career from his wartime tour with Bomber Command to his post as Chief of the Air Staff during the Falklands War.read full review

Friday, December 16, 2011

Tracing your Tank Ancestors: A Guide for Family Historians, Janice Tait and David Fletcher.

Combines a history of the British armoured forces, and in particular the Royal Tank Corps and Royal Armoured Corps, with a guide to the resources available for family histories trying to trace ancestors who served in British tanksread full review

Panzers in the Sand: The History of Panzer-Regiment 5, Volume One 1934-41, Bernd Hartmann.

A history of the first armoured unit to be formed in Germany after the First World War, tracing its history from its formation in 1933, through the campaigns in Poland and France and into North Africa, ending with the Axis powers on the back foot, having been forced to abandon the siege of Tobruk.read full review

A look at the varied roles performed by the F-100 Super Sabre in Vietnam, from its limited role as a fighter, to its long period providing close support for the ground troops and on to its final role in forward air control and search and rescue.read full review

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Focuses on the activities of the Allied airborne forces on both flanks of the D-Day beaches, covering the British, American and Canadian paratroopers and glider-borne troops. Most of the book covers the fighting on D-Day itself, although the author also includes a history of the development of airborne troopsread full review

Historical novel following the adventures of a Parthian prince who is captured by the Romans and taken to Italy, where he is rescued by Spartacus and joins his revolt. Nicely paced, and with a different take on the familiar story of Spartacus.read full review

The memoirs of an evacuee who was moved from Birmingham into the Staffordshire countryside, close to the village of Yoxall, before illness took him into the wartime health system. Well written and involving, and covers a different part of the evacuee experience to most memoirs.read full review

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

The battle of Ambur (3 August 1749) was the first battle of the Second Carnatic War, and saw Anwar-ud-Din, the incumbent Nawab of the Carnatic, defeated and killed by an allied army formed by the new Nizam of Hyderabad, the French, and a claimant to the Nawabship of the Carnatic.

The battle of Cuddalore (27-28 June 1747) was a British victory that prevented the French from capturing the fortified station of Cuddalore, a move that would have threatened the main British position in southern India at Fort St. David.

Friday, December 09, 2011

The Battle of Fort St. David (19 December 1746) was a victory won by the cavalry of the Nawab of the Carnatic over a French army that was moving to besiege one of the last British strongholds in the south of India, at Fort. St David (First Carnatic War)

The First Carnatic War (1744-48) was triggered by the War of the Austrian Succession, and saw the French win a series of victories over their English rivals in the south of India, although the pre-war situation was restored by the Treaty of Aix-le-Chapelle.

Tuesday, December 06, 2011

A study of the King's African Rifles, one of the most important of the local forces raised by the British in Africa. Looks at their experience against the 'Mad Mullah', their contribution in East Africa in the First World War, and against the Italians, Vichy French and Japanese during the Second World War, before moving on to the end of Empire and the last imperial warsread full review

An interesting study of the failure at Arnhem, focusing on the wider aspects of the campaign as much as on the narrow thrust or the fighting at Arnhem. Bennett covers the German point of view, the flanking operations of XII & VIII Corps and the actions of the 101st Airborne, as well as the wider strategic aims of the operation.read full review

Return Flights in War and Peace, the Flying Memoirs of Squadron Leader John Rowland, DSO, DFC.

The memoirs of an RAF pilot who started with war in Army Co-Operation before joining Bomber Command, where he flew 50 missions, ending the war as a flight leader. Covers the experiences of a Bomber Command pilot in the second half of the war, when targets became rather more varied than earlier.read full review

Friday, December 02, 2011

The first of four DVDs looking at the Waterloo campaign, this DVD looks at the background to the campaign and the battles of Quatre Bras and Ligny, the first serious fighting of the short campaign. An informative DVD, filmed on the battlefield and presented by a group of historians and expert battlefield guidesread full review

Voices from the Front: The 2nd Norfolk Regiment, from Le Paradis to Kohima, Peter Hart.

A history of the 2nd Norfolk Regiment during the Second World War,based on interviews conducted with veterans of the battalion conducted by the author, and tracing the battalion's story from France in 1939-40 to Burma, the fight for Kohima and the reconquest of the countryread full review

A history of a territorial army battalion that fought at Gallipoli before moving to the Western Front, where it took part in the fighting at Ypres in 1917 and in the major battles of 1918, both the German offensive of the spring and the victorious Allied advance of the late summer and autumnread full review

Thursday, December 01, 2011

An account of the second major German offensive of 1918, Operation Georgette, or the Battle of the Lys of April 1918. A clear narrative is supported by copious eyewitness accounts from the British side to produce a clear account of this pivotal battle after which the Germans began to lose the initiative on the Western Frontread full review

Focuses on an elite reconnaissance unit that carried out deep penetration missions into Laos and Cambodia to scout out the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Each team consisted of a mix of American soldiers and local troops, and their tasks were amongst the most dangerous of any combat missions during the Vietnamese Warread full review

The Rise and Fall of the Japanese Imperial Naval Air Service, Peter J. Edwards.

An unusual book, containing some fascinating material on the early development of Japanese naval aviation, its increasing efficiency during the 1930s and the dramatic early victories and eventual costly defeat of the Naval Air Service during the Second World War. Written very much from the Japanese point of view, and in a rather breathless styleread full review